Nonskid device



Jan. 9, 1951 E. J. NECRASON NONSKID DEVICE Filed Aug. 15 1946 Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT QFHCE NONSKID DEVICE Edmund J. Necrason, Afton, N. Y. Application August ra ns, serial No. 690,153

My invention relates to non skid devices, and

particularly to devices of this type adapted for attachment to the wheel of a motor vehicle;

In those seasons of the year when the temperature is consistently below the freezing pointor 4 claims. (or. 152- 218) frequently is in close proximity thereto chains or similar devices must be often attached to the 7. wheels of motor vehicles to provide traction and prevent skidding on roads which are covered with snow or coated with ice. Chains of the conven tiohal type are diflicult bothto applyand to rez tread of the tire to hold the cross chains when not in use; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a hook for permanen'ly securing one end of a cross chain to a chain holding ring on the inside of the wheel.

Referring to the drawing- I is a tire having a plurality of equispaced, transversely-extending grooves 2 in the tread. thereof. Preferably twelve of these grooves are formed in the tire and they extend across the ltread of the tire, as viewed in plan, at an angle move and, once applied, they cannot economi cally be left on the wheels when they are no longer necessary because, on bare pavements they wear very rapidly and the cross chains thereof break and niust be rep'iaced. Furtne more, on bare pavements, such as concrete, they produce a very unpleasant sound and vibration iii the vehicle.

The principal object of my invention is to pro vide an improved type of noii-skid chain which is adapted for use with a novel type of tire and which, once applied thereto, may be left thereon throughout the cold weather season withdiit causing Unpleasant noise and vibration in the vehicle or wear on the chains when they are not functioning asan anti-skid device. An I other object is to provide a non' skid chain and tire or wheel combination in which the cross chains are normally positioned in comparatively c deep grooves extending transversely in the tire tread but from which they may be readily removed and extended across an ungrooved portion of the tread whereby they will function in the ding;

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged cross section of the vehicle wheel showing one of my chains in a groove in the tread of a tire; I

Fig. 4 is a front elevation view cf a quick dd" tachable means for securing one end of each of the cross chain's to the wheel; c Fig. 5 is a section or Fig. 4 inthe plane 5-5; Figs. 'l-and 8 are crosssections of various types cf ew es wh ch y e Ql of approximately to the'axis of the tire. In other words, the ends of the grooves at one side of the tread are preferably 30 in advance of the ends of the grooves at the other side of the tread. 3 is the rim of the wheel on which the tire I is mounted and 4 is thedisc of the wheel which carries the rim 3. Secured to each side of the disc 4 by means of bolts 5 are chain holding rings 6 and l which are angular in cross section; one leg of each of the angles being secured to the disc 4 and the other legs extending outwardly from the disc, as best shown in 3. The outstand ing legs of the rings 6 and i are provided with openings 8 and 9 therein which are circumferentially spaced 30 apart and disposed with the openings 8 in the ring 5 directly opposite the are deep enough to prevent the chains from com tacting the pavement when the vehicle is in operation.

Permanently secured in the other end of each of the cross chains is a quick detachable means,

represented generally by the numeral 12, which 1 8 in the ring 6. V posite the eyes are threaded to receive nuts I4,

serves to secure the other end of the chain to 'the eye bolls l3 which pass through the openings The ends of the bolts l3 opand helical springs 15 surrounding the bolts are compressed between the inner face of the ring "ment of the eye bolts !3 against the compression 6 and washers [5. To limit the upward moveof the springs I5, collars it surround the eye bolts within the springs, as best shown in Figs,

3; 4, and 5.

"f The quick detachable means [2 which secures the end of each of the chains H to an eye bolt l3 may be the same as now used to secure togetherthe ends of the circumferentially extendmg chains of a conventional tire chain. Thus, of the means i2 comprises a flat plate l1 which is permanently secured to one end of the chain H, as shown at l8, and to which is pivoted, at the other end, a hook [9. The hook I9 is normally held in the positions shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 by means of the slip ring 20. However, by pushing the end 2| of the hook partially into the opening 22 in the flat member H, the slip ring may be moved upwardly out of engagement with the hook whereupon the hook l9 may be swung downwardly about its pivotal connection with the member I! and disengaged from the eye bolt. To anyone familiar with the conventional tire chains, it is well known that hooks of this order function as levers to tighten the circumferentially extending chains thereof. Thus, in attaching the hooks to the eye bolts, it is only necessary to insert the end 2| of the hook into the eye of the bolt and then raise the hook upwardly to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This movement of the hook will pull the eye bolt [3 upwardly against the compression of the springs 15 so that the cross chains will be taut.

In warm seasons, the chains would ordinarily be removed from the wheels by simply disconnecting them from the chain holding rings 6 on the outside of the wheels and then removing the rings 6 and l by taking out the bolts 5. To replace them, it is only necessary properly to position the rings and tighten the bolts 5 which pass through the slotted openings 23 therein. After the rings 6 and I are properly positioned, th chains which are permanently secured at one end to the ring I on the inside of the wheel are positioned in the grooves 2 and the free ends thereof secured to the eye bolts 13 by means of the quick detachab e securing means l2.

When it is necessary so to position the chains that they will function to provide traction and prevent skidding, it is only necessary to disconnect the free end of each chain and to re-connect it to the eye bolt which is substantially directly opposite the point where the other end' of each chain is fastened to the inside ring 1, and the chains will then occupy the positions shown "in dotted outlines H in Fig. 2. 1

In Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown the grooves in the tire as of substantially uniform width from top to bottom. However, the grooves may be made narrower at the top than at the bottom, as shown at 24 in Figs. 6 and 7, so that either one or both of the sides of the groove, at the top thereof, will overhang the bottom of the groove. Since cross chains are wider in one direction than in the other, they may be inserted through narrower portions of the grooves by turning them on edge, so to speak, and then turning them flat after they have entered the bottom of the groove.

Instead of having the overhanging ton edges of the grooves continuous, they may be interrupted. as b having alternate overhanging portions 25 and 26 on each side, as shown in Fig. 8. In any case, the overhanging sides of the grooves at the to thereof will prevent the chains from being thrown out of the grooves by centrifugal force at high vehicle speeds.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that'l'. have provided a non-skid chain. or non-skid chain and tire combination in which the chains may be left permanently on the wheels during the seasons when it may be necessary to use them from time to time, depending on weather conditions.

I have stated above that I prefer to have the grooves extend transversely across the tread at an angle of about 30 to the axis of the'tire, as

. ference in the distances between the points of attachment being compensated for by the springs.

By properly correlating the thickness of the tread, the depth and number of the grooves, with th angle at which the grooves are cut or molded, so as to maintain the chains taut in either their functioning or non-functioning position, considerable varation in the angle of the grooves may be effected.

It is to be understood that the drawings are more or less conventional and serve merely to illustrate my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

1. A tire casing for a motor vehicle having a plurality' 'of equicircumferentially spaced grooves in the tread thereof extending transversely across said tread with the ends of said grooves on one side thereof substantially in advance of the ends of, said grooves on the other side thereof; at least one side of each of said grooves being provided with a portion overhanging the bottom of said groove and adapted to overlie and retain a nonskid cross chain in each of said grooves when laid flat in the bottom thereof; whereby said overlying portions will prevent said chains from being thrown out of said grooves by centrifugal force developed by the rotation of said tire when operating.

2. A non-skid device com rising the combination with a veh c e wheel having mounted on the rim thereof a tire provided in its tread with a plurality of equicircumferentially-sp ced, comoaratively deeo grooves substantiallv straight throughout extending transversely of said tire and disposed at an oblioue angle to the central me idian lane of'said tire, a pair of rigid. chainholding rings, means detachably securin said r n s to said wheel, one on each s de ther of, and ad acent said rim, a pluralit of se arate. nonskid cross chains each norm ll positioned in one of said grooves, means securing one end of each of sa d chains to the rin on the inner side of said u wheel. and means, includin a s ring and oui k detachable means. securin the ot er end of each of said chains to the rin on the o ter side of said wheel and normally hold ng a d cha ns taut v in said grooves and out of contact at a l times with Q the surface over which said vehicle may he moving the de th of said grooves bein substantia ly in excess of the thickness of said c ains: and the depth of said grooves a d the oblinuity of said angle being so corre at d that the distance transversely around th tread of said tire. as. me sured along the bottom of a groove, is approxim tely the same as the distance transversely around said tread. as measured in a plane perpendicular to the central meridian plane of said the in a zone between said grooves: whereby, said chains may be removed from their normal posit ons in said grooves and s cured in substantial y tight skidpreventing positions around said tread hv detaching the ends of said chains from said ring on the it outer sid of said wheel and reattaching them to said outer ring at points substantially opposite their points of attachment to the ring on the inner side of said wheel.

3. A tire adapted to be applied to the rim of a motor vehicle wheel and having a tread integral therewith provided with a plurality of equicircumferentially-spaced, substantially straight transversely-extending grooves therein each of a width and depth adapted to have a non-skid cross chain positioned therein with its upper, exposed surface disposed and maintained at all times substantially below the immediately adjacent surface portions of said tread; whereby said cross chains, when so positioned and disposed insaid grooves will be at all times entirely out of contact with the road surface on which said vehicle may be operating; the ends of said grooves being open; the end of each groove in one side of said tread being substantially in advance of the end thereof in the other side of said tread; and the distance transversely around the tread of said tire, as measured along the bottom of a groove, being approximately the same as'the distance transversely around said tread as measured in a plane perpendicular to the central meridian plane of said tire in a zone between said grooves; whereby, non-skid cross chains of uniform length may be normally carried out of wearing contact with said road surface when positioned in said grooves but, when needed, may be removed from said grooves and positioned in substantially tight, skid-preventing position around said tread between said'grooves.

4. A non-skid device adapted for attachment to the wheel of a motor vehicle comprising a tire adapted to'be mounted on the rim of said wheel and having a tread integral therewith provided with a plurality of equicircumferentially-spaced, substantially straight grooves therein extending entirely across said tread at an oblique angle to the central meridian plane of said tire; each of said grooves being of a width and depth adapted to have a non-skid cross chain positioned therein with its upper surface disposed and maintained at all times substantially below the surface portions of said tread immediately adjacent said groove; whereby, when'iso positioned and disposed 'said'chain will be entirely out of contact with the road surface on which said vehicle may be operating; a pair of rigid chain-holding rings provided with means adapting them to be secured to said wheel on opposite sides thereof adjacent said rim, a plurality of cross chains each adapted to be positioned in one of said grooves, means at one end of each of said chains securing said ends of said chains to one of said rings at equicircumferentially-spaced points thereof, and means, including a spring and quick detachable means, cooperating with the other end of each of said chains, for yieldably and detachably securing said ends to the other of said rings at equicircumferentiallyspaced points thereof for holding said chains tautly in said grooves when said device is attached to said wheel; the depth of said grooves and the obliquity of said angle being so correlated that the distance between the points of attachment of each of said chains to said rings, as measured along the bottom of a groove, is approximately the same as the distance between the point of attachment of any one of said chains to one of said rings and the point of attachment of one of the next adjacent chains to the other of said rings, as measured transversely around said tread in a zone between said grooves; whereby, non-skid cross chains of uniform length may be normally carried out of wearing contact with said road surface when positioned in said grooves but, when needed, may be removed from said grooves and positioned in substantially tight skid-preventing position around said tread between said grooves.

EDMUND J. NECRASON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 901,300 Rovere Oct. 13, 1908 901,654 Sills Oct. 20, 1908 1,337,443 Demas Apr. 20, 1920 1,456,729 Fraser May 29, 1923 1,563,960 Brockhurst Dec. 1, 1925 2,078,764 Kielmansegg Apr. 27, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,550 Great Britain May 6, 1907 

